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C. LEA.

TUBE FRAME FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION man one. l9l3- RENEWED MAR. 11.1918.

alt-(f UNITED STATES IZTENT ()FFIGE,

CHARLES LEA, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNUR TO AMERICAN WARP DRAWINGMACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTGN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TUBE-FRAME FOR LOQMS.

Application filed December S, 1913, Serial No. $305,634.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it lrnown that l, CJTAIELES LEA, citizen of the United States, andresident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachu sett-s, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube-Frames for Looms,of which the following is a specification.

This a giplication forms a continuation of, and renewal of an allowedapplication now pending in the U. S. Patent OlllCK-B, Serial No.805,634E, filed by me December 9, 1913, and cowering the invention intube frames herein described and claimed.

This invention relates to tube frames such as are used in weavingAxminster carpets or other pile fabric, and which embrace generallyspeaking, a rigid longitudinal carrier-structure which forms so tospeak, the back-bone for carrying the rotatable yarn spool and thesupport to which are secured a plurality of tu'lt tubes which control orguide and deliver the yarn tufts to the fabric in the process ofweaving.

To meet practical requirements the tuft tubes must be sufficientlynarrow to pass between adjacent warp threads, and must be veryaccurately and uniformly spaced and reliably held in position;furthermore, convenience in use requires that the intake or threadiiends of the tubes should be ere posed to afford unobstructed access bythe operator for convenient and accurate insertion oi the yarn-ends, andthat substantially the whole body portion of the tubes should be exposedto inspection to permit instan detection of any bending or collapsing ofany individual tube.

Owing to the practical requirements of the art, it has been the practiceto solder the tuft tubes to each other and to the carrier structurealong one side thereof, although performance of this soldering operationis necessarily slow and very painstaking, subject lo imperfectpositioning, and re quires the services of a skilled mechanic.l/loreowr, the inconvenience and loss of time of the loom. involved intearing out damaged tubes, dressing the ruptured portion of the solderto fit it for a new tube, and accurately resoldering such new tube inplace, is a serious drawback or hindrance to eiiiciency.

It is the object of the present invention. to provide an improved tubeframe having the Specification of Letters Patent.

Renewed March 11, 1918. Serial No. 221,864.

requisite arrangement, form and disposition of lts component parts withthe tube members disposed side by side externally to or in front of thecarrier structure so as to meet the above described conditions, but sothat individual tube members while rigidly and securely attached to thecarrier structure shall be capable of quickiand easy detachment forreplacement or renewal, the removal being effected by mechanicallyreleasing the holding engagement of the carrier structure with theindividual tubesinstead of cutting or tearing out old tubes andsoldering in new ones as has heretofore been the practice. A furtherobject is to afiord such a construction and arrangement of the carrierconstruction in conjunction with the construction of the tuft tubes asto aiiord an absolutely accurate and uniform means for positioning orspacing the tuft tubes side by side and maintaining them firmly againstdisplacement in any direction against such external pressure or contactas they may be subjected to in practical service. A further object is toprovide a form of construction whereby standard tube members of properform may be interchangeably used for replacement purposes and whereby incase of injury to one or more of the tuft tubes it is convenient andpracticable to readily replace only the damaged tubes without disturbingor injuring the undamaged tubes. 7

For the purpose of meeting the practical conditions above stated and forthe objects indicated, the invention consists primarily of a tube frameor spool frame embracing in its construction a rigid longitudinalcarrier structure adapted to form a support for yarn spool placed injuxtaposition thereto, for the purpose of supplying the yarn to theindividual tubes, and a series of tuft tubes operatively engaged withsaid carrierstructure by a quick-detachable and uniform spacingconnection whereby the tuft-containing portions of the tubes arecompletely exposed for purposes of inspection and of threading the yarn,while permitting easy and quick replacement of damaged or de- 'fectivetube members.

As has been pointed out above the forward or yarn delivery ends of thetubes have to be of such dimensions as to leave spaces between, so that.the ends of the tubes (for iift-delivery purposes) may pass down hetween adjacent warp yarns in the loom; and in many cases there arerequired to be so many tubes per inch lengthwise to the tube frame, thatsubstantially the largest practicable number of tubes per inch has beenreached in commercial practice. The individual tubes are generally ofsomewhat larger cross section at "the rear or yarnenterin ends thereof.

I preferably form the tubes so that with the requisite number thereofper inch they are of such dimension at their rear portions that, whenoperatively assembled in parallel relation on the carrier-structure,rear portions of adjacent walls of adjacent tubes are in surfacecontact, whereby adjacent tubes in cooperation with their carrierengaging connection serve'to mutually support and space each other inproper parallel relation for service.

As a further detail such construction enables me preferably to provideholding and guiding s ots .for the tubes and preferably of suchdimension that each slot can snugly receive or engage the adjacent wallsof two adjacent tube members, thus affording a convenient method ofholding and alining the tubes with absolute precision while maintainingthe tubes with their axes in parallel alinement.

Obviously when employing these last described details of my inventionthe slots or openings in the carrier-structure for receiving adjacentwalls of adjacent tube. members may engage and hold the tube memberswithout further addition, but usually I prefer to construct the tubemembers with the rear ortion of their walls or extensions thereof, insuch form asto serve in a cooperative gripping or holding engagementwith the assembled carrier-structure, but always so as to permit theready detachment of individual tube members.

The tubemembers or units may comprise, according to preference inindividual cases, either-single tubes of the proper construction toadapt them to detachable engagement with the carrier-structure, orseveral tubes assembled together upon a common connecting or attachingmember, thus forming so to speak, -pluraltube units.

In the forms of my invention illustrated herein, the tube members orunits whether single or multiple, are detachably connected with, orattached to the carrier-structure without'a separate additional lockingmember, but in a co-pending application I have shown one of the modes inwhich a special locking member or clamping member may be employed as aositive locking means for securing the tu e members to thecarrierstructure while permitting their ready detachment therefrom.

lIn'the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan View showing thecomplete tube frame engaging the tube-member with the carriermember.

Figs. 4, 7 and 8 are different detail views illustrating the applicationof the quickdetachable and positioning connection of a multipletube-unit.

In the practice of my invention according to the particular formillustrated in the drawings, the carrier-structure comprises alongitudinal rigid bar a made of any suitable tubular form, to the endsof which are secured in any suitable manner, the arms or brackets ewhich support the yarn spool f in operative relationship to theindividual tubemembers whose main function it is to deliver the yarntufts properly between the warp threads in order to furnish the pile ofthe woven fabric. The tuft-delivering members I) are made of thin sheetmetal bent to form hollow delivery members or tubes with their forwardor delivery ends reduced in width so as to leave uniform spaces betweenthe delivery ends of the adjacent tubes in order that the tubes may passbetween the warp threads in the tuft-weaving operation. The rear orintake ends of these single tubes are of a width or gage to allow thedesired number of tubes per inch lengthwise of the carrier-member, tolie side by side in parallel arrangement, and preferably with theadjacent walls of adjacent tubes in surface contact with each otherthereby affording mutual support.

The particular form of carrier bar shown in Fig. 2, which constitutesthe backbone of the carrier-structure, is quadrilateral in shape, withits front face and a portion of each adjacent face intersected by aseries of uniformly spaced parallel transverse slots 0 which aredimensioned to allow the projectino rear ends of the adjacent side wallsof ad acent tubes, to be snugly inserted in a single slot as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 4. It will be seen that the cooperative structuralformation of the main carrier-member and the tuft-tube members is suchthat the individual tuft tubes are accurately and uniformly spacedwithout the possibility of shifting along the carrier-member or ofchanging their right-angle relationship to the ax s of thecarrier-member. At the same time each or any tube-member may be quicklyremoved from its engagement with the carrier-structure to permit a asimilar member to be inserted in its place, the tubemembers mutuallysupporting and sustaining each other by lateral contact at their rear orintake end portions.

In Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings I have shown the different ways ofinterlocking or securing the tube-members in their operative positionson the carrier-member. In Fig. 2 the extensions 6 of the side walls areprovided with projecting prongs b which are constructed and arranged tospring into interlocking engagement with a series of correspondinglyarranged apertures a formed in the main carrier-member in alinement withthe spacing and holdslots (6.

The form of interlocking connection illustrated in Fig. 5 works on asimilar principle, but in this case the hook members 5 have an externalinterlocking engagement with retaining shoulders b, b, which are formedlengthwise of the bar at the appropriate location to accomplish thispurpose. The exterior angle or corner of the bar in this case forms onesuch retaining shoulder, while the forward face of the bar is providedwith a projecting ledge 6 It will of course be understood that'these twoforms of positively locking individual tube-members to the bar aremerely illustrative of the interlocking principle which forms one of thefeatures of this invention.

Precisely the same spacing and holding principle is applicable in caseswhere like the form illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and" 8, the tube-membersinstead of consisting of a single tube, comprises a plurality of tubularguides permanently or rigidly secured to a common holding or retainingmember (1 which as here shown has a flat body portion with parallelangular extensions 0 which fit into correspondingly spaced receivingslots a in the main carrier-member a. These extensions or wings aobviously are capable of being formed in any suitable manner tointerlockingly engage the carrier-member such as by a spring orresilient engagement between suitably formed hook portions 0 andproperly located apertures or openings a in the carrier-structure. Inthis case too, each tube-member affords lateral support for the nextadjacent member, the receiving slots of the carrier-memher beingpreferably of a width to receive adjacent portions of adjacentsupporting members.

Whether the single tube-members or the multiple tube-members areemployed. will depend upon particular conditions and convenience in eachcase, but in either event the tube-members will have a quick-detachableengagement with the rigid carrier-structure, and in such relation thatno improper spacing or positioning along the carrier-structure of thetube-members is possible, while at the same time the tubemembers areexposed exteriorlv of the carrier-structure so as to avoid allobstruction to the easy drawing-in or threading of the yarn strands fromthe yarn spool, and also permitting rapid and complete inspection of thetube-members so that any deformation or bending of any individual tubemay be instantly detected.

What I claim is:

1. An Axminster tube-frame for the control of yarn for tuft weaving,embracing in combination a rigid longitudinal carrierstructure adaptedto form a support for a yarn-supplying spool, and a series of tufttubemembers constructed to be assembled side by side on saidcarrier-structure in position to receive their appropriate yarn-endsfrom the sp0ol,'said tube members being structurally separate, and beingmechanically engaged with the carrienstructure in operative relationshipby a quick-detachable engagement with the carrier-structure whereby eachtube member 18 properly positioned in relation to the yarn-spool Whilepermitting rapid and easy replacement, substantially as described.

2. In an Axminster tube-frame for controlling the delivery of yarn fortuft weaving, the combination of a carrier-structure. with ayarn-delivering tube member formed to be detachably engaged with saidcarrierstructure with its yarincontaining portion disposed in exteriorrelationship to said carrier-structure, whereby the tube-member isremovably held in operative position while affording unobstructed accessfor inspection and yarn-threading purposes, substantially as described.

3. An Axminster tube-frame for the control of tuft yarns in weaving,comprising a rigid tube carrying structure extending transversely of therear ends of the tube members when the latter are operatively assembledon said structure, and individually and readiiy detachable tube-membersoperatively held on said structure with their axes parallel, and atright angles to the axis of the carrier-structure, said tube-membersbeing formed as separate elements and being dimensioned to have the rearportions of adjacent walls of adjacent tube-members in lateral contactwhen operatively assembled, whereby adjacent tube-members afford mutualsupport for each other to aid in maintaining correct operative positionwhile permitting indvidual tube-members to be readily detached andreplaced on the carrierstructure, substantially as described.

tube-members operatively assembled inengagement with said slots andreadily detachable from the carrier-structure, substantially asdescribed.

5. An Axminster tube-frame for the control of tuft yarns in weaving,embracing in its construction a rigid carrying structure extendingtransversely of the rear ends of the tube-members when the latter areassembled on said structure and provided with a series of transverseslots, and a series of parallel tube-members assembled on said structureby detachable engagement therewith, the tube members being formed anddimensioned with the rear portions of their side walls in lateralcontact with the next adjacent tube-members and partly within said slotsin the carrier-structure, the individual slots being dimensioned toreceive the adjacent walls of two adjacent tubes whereby adjacent tubesare retained in contact in a single slot and the parallelism of thetubes is maintained, substantially as described.

6. 'An Axminster tube-frame for the cohtrol of tuft yarns in weaving,embracing a rigid carrier-structure having uniformly spaced receivingslots, a series of tube-members havin their rear portions formed toengage sai slots and held therein by a quick-detachable connectionwhereb each tube-member may be removed from t e carrier-structureindependently of the other tube members, substantially as described.

7. An Axminster tube-frame for the control of tuft yarns in weaving,embracing in its construction a rigid carrier-structure, a series oftube-members arranged transversely of the carrier-structure andexteriorly thereof, said tube-members being held detachably in operativeposition by spring engagement with said carrier structure whereby eachtube-member may be removed or replaced without affecting the springengagement of the other tube-members with the carrier-structure.

8. In an Axminster tube-frame the combination of a. carrier-bar formedwith transverse parallel slots along one side, a series of tube-membershaving rearwardly projecting extensions adapted to pass into said slotsand formed to have interlocking quickdetachable engagement with said barto support the tubes against swinging and torsional movement.

9. In an Axminster tube-frame the combination of a rigid carrier-barformed with transverse parallel slots along one side, a series oftuft-guiding tube-members having their side walls extended rearwardly toproject into said slots, and formed to have a quick-detachable lockinengagement with said carrier-bar for holding them in operative position.

10. The combination of a hollow transversely slotted carrier bar, aseries of tufttube members having rearwardly projecting holdingextensions arranged to enter the slots in said bar and formed with bookmembers adapted to form a quick-detachable locking engagement withcooperating portions of the bar.

11. In an Axminster tube-frame the combination with a carrier-barprovided with transverse parallel slots arranged along one side thereof,a series of tuft tube-members each having a pair of supportingextensions of a thickness approximately equal to one-half the width ofsaid slots, whereby the adjacent wings of adjacent tube-members may beinserted in the same slot in order to be held in quick-detachableengagement with said bar.

12. In an Axminstertube-frame the combination of a single rigid carrierbar and a series of parallel tuft tubes provided with spring supportingmembers formed to be sprung into interlocking engagement with said barto permit the quick attachment and detachment of each individual tufttube from the bar independently of the other tubes, substantially asdescribed.

13. In an Axminster tube frame the combination of a single carrier bar,a series of tuft tubes, each individual tube having means for firmlyconnecting it to the carrier bar by a quick-detachable engagement, theconnecting means of each tube being independent of the other tubes,whereby any desired tuft tube may be instantly detached from the bar andreplaced thereon without disturbance of the other tubes, substantiallyas described.

14. The combination of a rigid hollow carrier bar provided withtransverse slots along one side and having a series of cooperatingapertures formed in the adjacent sides, and a series of tuft tubeshaving wings arranged on one side to project into said slots, said wingsbein formed with hook-like members arrang to be forced intoquick-detachable locking engagement with said apertures in the bar,substantially, as described.

15. A carrier bar foran Axminster tubeframe comprisin a longitudinalrigid metallic bar provi ed along one side with a series of narrowparallel slots of equal. width with the exception of the slots at eitherend, said end slots being approximately one-half the width of theintermediate slots, substantially as described.

16. A carrier-bar for an Axminster tubeframe comprising a longitudinalhollow metallic bar provided with a series of parallel uniformly spacedthin transverse slots intersecting three sides of the hollow bar, saidbar having also a series of cooperating holding apertures alined withsaid slots, substantially as described.

17. A tuft-guide member for a tube-frame embracing a tubular body forcontaining and guiding the yarn, and offset holding means of springmetal projecting from the rear or intake end of said tube to forminterlocking spring engagement with its carrier bar, substantially asdescribed.

18. A tuft-guide member for a tubeframe embracing in its construction atubular body portion for guiding and containing the yarn, one end ofWhich is provided with a pair of laterally offset holding Wings at therear or intake end of said tube, said Wings being formed to haveinterlocking engagement with the carrier bar of the tube frame,substantially as described.

In Witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

CHARLES LEA.

In the presence of ARTHUR F. RANDALL, GEO. N. GODDARD.

